Isaiah 51:21
“Therefore now hear this, you afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine:”
What does Isaiah 51:21 mean?
God speaks here to people who are exhausted and disoriented by their suffering, comparing their state to drunkenness even though no wine caused it. The afflicted in Jerusalem at this time were reeling from exile, loss, and the weight of their circumstances, so drunk with sorrow that they could barely think straight. God's "therefore" points back to his promise that he will comfort Zion and restore her, so this isn't a rebuke but an invitation to listen to something that might steady them. It's a tender acknowledgment that sometimes our pain leaves us so bewildered we can barely function, and in that vulnerable place, God draws close to speak.